


You Found Me

by obsidianorchid



Category: Red vs. Blue
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Crimes & Criminals, Fights, Fluff and Angst, M/M, Maybe - Freeform, Past Child Abuse, Possible Character Death, Possible smut later on, Violence, but it won't someone major, tragic backstory
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-04-27
Updated: 2015-09-07
Packaged: 2018-03-25 23:29:51
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 6
Words: 13,657
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3828898
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/obsidianorchid/pseuds/obsidianorchid
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Six years locked and stuck in a god awful place, and Washington finally grasped his freedom. His luck as if it couldn't run out. He even found a roof over his head, and three others to stay with. </p><p>But good luck always runs out. And that's what worries Washington.</p><p>The thought of actually being dragged back to his prison plagues his mind. What if they find him? Though, it IS unlikely, especially while there's so many people and places in this city. They could never find him. There's such a little chance!<br/>...Right...?</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Freedom

**Author's Note:**

> I've got the gist of this story planned out, but I don't know how long it's gonna be. Maybe 10+ chapters? Anyways, the beginning may seemed a bit rushed. I've never been good at writing the beginning of things. However, I promise things will get better  
> I'm gonna try to post a chapter or two every week, but I can't promise anything.
> 
> Okay I'll let you read now. Thank you!

Washington didn't stop to look behind him. He couldn't risk getting caught. The only thing he could do was continue running. The voices of those damn men grew louder, as they tailed him. Wash clenched his knife, hoping he wouldn't have to use it if necessary.

"You're fucking dead!" One of the men shouted at him. Wash tried to pick up his pace, though he couldn't run for much longer. He panted loudly, trying to make as many twists and turns down the street as he could. He needed to lose them. Spotting an empty alleyway, he came to a sudden halt.  Wash slipped into the alley, scouting the area around for the men. He didn't see them, but he sure as hell heard them.

"I'm gonna wring you damn neck when we find you!" The other said. He bolted farther into the alley, stopping once when he saw a fire escape on the side of an apartment building. Wash hurried over to it, and jumped as high as he could, barely grabbing the bottom of the ladder. He gripped the bottom bar with both hands, and began pulling himself up.

Something clenched around his ankle, stopping him from climbing any higher. He glanced down to see his two captors. The one with a hold of his ankle tried yanking him down. Wash held onto the ladder tightly, kicking the man's face with his free leg. The man stumbled back, letting go of Wash’s ankle. Wash pulled himself onto the ladder before the second man could stop him. He climbed to the first ledge, looking back down to see the second man beginning his ascent up the ladder. Wash raced up the stairs, readying the knife in his hand for a fight. The man immediately caught up with him, a crowbar in his grasp.

"You little bitch!" The man growled, swinging the crowbar towards Washington's legs. Wash leaped over the bar, barely dodging it. He lunged towards the man, slicing his cheek. However, due to how close range attack, Wash was extremely vulnerable. The man was able to landed a blow to Wash's side. He collapsed to the metal grating, groaning in pain. He barely rolled out of range of the next swing of the crowbar. The man stomped closer to him, readying himself for another hard swing.

Wash stumbled to his feet, and moved to the side, dodging the attack. He brandished the knife towards the man's stomach. With a direct hit to his gut, he dropped the crowbar, and collapses to his knees, grasping the wound. Wash tucked his knife in the pocket of his hoodie, and picked up the crowbar. He flourished the bar, smacked the man's ribs with it. The man began cough excessively, trying to catch his breath. Wash threw the crowbar, continuing to scale the fire escape. Metal grating shaking from below caught his attention, causing him to listen closer. Footsteps, probably from the first man. He ran up the stairs, trying to think of a way out of this situation.

A blinding light shone from the apartment window above Wash. It was a bit surprising for someone to be awake at this time. He stopped,  his eyes at the window. Someone was most likely awake in there. Maybe they'd help him, but it was unlikely. He rushed up to the lit window, banging on it loudly. The footsteps from below grew louder. He banged on the glass faster, his breath speeding up from panic.

The window soon slid open. A dark skinned, and very confused boy stood impatiently on the other side. His eyes narrowed, and rose an eyebrow. He opened his mouth to say something, but Wash didn’t give him the chance to speak. He hopped through the window, turning around to shut it. immediately shutting it.

Anxiety struck him, causing he searched around. “Hurry, turn this light off!” He ordered. The man gave him an odd, almost frightened look, and scampered over to a lightswitch, flicking it off. When the room went pitch black, the man spoke up, sounding annoyed.

“What the hell?! Do I ha-”

Wash immediately shut him up. “Shhh! Stay quiet, or we’ll both regret it.” He whispered, listening closely, to check if that man had passed this apartment yet. The grating of the fire escaped rattled, growing louder with every passing second. The rattling continued to ringing in his ears, even after it started to fade. That guy must have just walked pass. Wash stayed still a little longer, clarifying he was gone.

Something shuffled around in the apartment, provoking him to tense up, and raise his fists up in defense. He positioned his arms back at his sides, relaxing a bit, when a light in the other room flipped on. Wash stepped a bit closer to the luminescent room. It was just the guy who lives here. The guy stood in the doorway of what appeared to be his room, one hand on a hip, and the other holding a phone.

"Who the hell are you?! I'll fucking call the cops!" He shouted. Wash threw his hands up defensively.

"Don't." He shook his head, taking a step towards him. "Just let me explain myself!" He walked up to the man, clasping his hands together, pleading.

The man shot him an untrusting look, strolling over to his bed and plopping down onto it. "Fine, but don't think I won't call the cops." Wash nodded his head in understanding. He followed him over to the bed, sitting down. Before he could say anything, the man spoke up. “First off, what the hell’s your name? Mine’s Lavernius, but my two roommates, who surprisingly aren't home yet, just call me Tucker.”  Tucker crossed his arms and legs

Wash briefly averted his eyes. “I’m used to being called Washington, or Wash, for short.” Tucker snorted, followed by laughter.

“What, are ya from the state or something?”

“No. That’s not even my first name. It’s just what I’ve been referred to. I'm used to it." He hissed, rolling his eyes. “Anyways, let me explain just why I ended up slipping and hiding in your apartment” He hesitated, before taking a deep breath and starting his story. “I managed to escape these men, who always just wanted us to refer to them as ‘sir’, during an assignment, but they ended up figuring it out and tracking me down. I ran in the alley out back, and tried climbing up the fire escape..” Wash began to explain the scene that occurred outside as best as he could, resulting in a weird look from Tucker.

“Wait, wait, wait.." He rubbed his temple. "Who the hell were these guys? Why were they chasing you? And why were yo-” Wash rose his hand, signaling him to stop with the questions.

“Well.. I hope you’re ready for storytime again. This story’s a bit long, but I’ll try giving you the shortened version..” Wash rubbed the back of his neck, not sure if he should tell this guy he just met his life story. He examined at him, seeing how he almost looked intrigued to know. With another breath, Wash starting speaking again. “It started when I was relatively young. I’d say.. about 12, maybe 13? These men, the two I ran from, snatched me from my room in the middle of the night. At first, I was astonished that my parents didn’t realize that someone was in there house, taking their child, but the men soon told me that they ‘got rid’ of them.” Wash dragged his finger across his neck. “They brought me to this abandoned building somewhere. To my surprise, I wasn’t the only one they’d taken. A decent amount of kids, ages about 13 to 18, were there. They told me why I was brought there, and what I’d be doing in a few years. They taught me how to use a knife, and other shit. Who teaches a kid to use a knife, and drill it into their brain to rob people? Anyways, it was constant training until I turned 15, about three years ago. They told me I had a ‘quota’ to meet at the end of every week. The reason they taught me, and the other younger kids there, to rob people and usually get away with it, was because they wanted us to do it now. That was the easiest way for us to make money. The money we ‘made’ by the end of the week determined how we got treated the next. Meet the quota, get fed. Don’t, and you rarely eat, and you're beaten. Most of the time, we didn’t meet the quota. It was pretty difficult. Sometimes the other, older kids would push us around, forcefully taking our earnings. The men didn't do anything when they saw this. They just said how it  was ‘survival of the fittest’, and that if we didn’t want them taking our money, we should man up and handle it ourselves..” Wash trailed off, looking to the side. Tucker gaped at him.

“Wow, they seem like festive fuckers.” His eyebrows rose, not having a clue what to say. Wash remained silent, not even gazing at him. Tucker rubbed his arm, clearing his throat. “Uhh, well, what do you plan to do now?”

Wash simply sat there, finally returning his look. "I have no clue.. Find a spot in some other alley to sleep in, praying those guys don’t find me, and kill me in my sleep?” He sprung to his feet, heading out of the room, and to the front door. Tucker quickly trailed him, stepping in front of him and blocking his path.

“Your shitting me, right? That’s insane!”

Wash scoffed. “I dont have any better ideas. What else am I supposed to do?" Tucker opened his mouth to say something, but paused.

“Well… Yeah, I know this sounds just as crazy as your smart ass plan, but I guess I can let you stay here for awhile.” Wash rose a brow. “Though, if you stay for longer than four days, your ass is gonna help pay rent for the month.”

Wash folded his arms. “Alright. Are you sure you’re just gonna let some bum you just met stay in your house?” Tucker shrugged.

“Well, if your stories are true, which I think they are due to your reaction afterwards, and that person wandering outside, you could have robbed or killed me by now if you wanted to. I think I’ll be okay. I can always call the cops, if necessary.” He waved phone in his hand before scurrying down the hall, and opening the closet at the end. “ You can crash on the couch for now.” He shouted, grabbing some extra blankets and a pillow. “I’ll have to tell my roommates that someone’s staying with us in the morning. Hopefully I’ll be up to tell them.” Tucker mumbled that last part to himself.

Wash relaxed on the couch, kicking off his worn shoes and slipping out of his hoodie. The knife, stained with blood from earlier, was still in his hoodie pocket. He stuffed the blade back in the hoodie pocket, and set his jacket on the coffee table. Once Tucker returned with the bedding, Wash took them from him, stroking the furry texture of the blanket. It was like a cloud compared to the thin ass sheets he slept with. First stretching his arms a bit, Wash adjusted the pillow under him, and laid down, snuggling under the blanket. He looked over his shoulder at Tucker, still standing there. He gave Tucker a small smile, something he almost forgot how to do over these harsh years.

“Thank you.” He honestly didn't expect a stranger to be so generous, especially to someone like him. Tucker grinned back at him, before trekking off to his room. He switched off the light, and shut his door.

Washington closed his eyes, and rolled to face the back of the couch. With some deep breaths, he tried to clear his mind, and finally get a good night's sleep, which was LONG overdue.

However, he couldn't get a wink of rest. 

Wash shuffled around for what felt like hours. Though he knew it' couldn't have been more than maybe 10 minutes. The thought of those men finding him, or waking up back in that unbearable place raced through his mind. He sat up, kneading the side of his head. Wash really needed to clear his mind. Taking some deep breaths, he scanned the window he crawled through. The blue curtains swayed back and forth. He froze when he saw a silhouette of something tall behind the drapes.

He held his breath, and began to tremble. No way.. had the men already him?

Wash rose, and slowly crept closer to the curtains. Upon further inspection, he realized it was nothing more than a lamp. Wash let out a sigh in relief, and irritation. How silly of him! He dragged himself over to the couch, and laid back down.

 _There's nothing to worry about. Your just being paranoid._  

A small grin crept onto Wash's face. He was free. Finally free. That's all that mattered now. Wash took a deep breath, and closed his eyes. He needed to get some sleep. For the first in about 5 years, he'd finally rest somewhere else than a cardboard thin mattress. It was about damn time, but Wash couldn't get this almost empty feeling out of his gut. Over the years, all the things he's done, the memories just begun pouring into his head. All the robberies, crimes, and people he's hurt. Did he honestly deserve this? Did he deserve someone being generous to him? With another calming breath, he whirled on his side, closing his eyes. He just needed some sleep, that's all. All these thoughts were going to keep him up. This was probably going to be one of his few chances to sleep somewhere decent, and he had to embrace that someone was generous enough to let him stay here.

He hoped he'd never wake up in that god awful place again.


	2. A Start To Something Normal

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Wow, sorry for the late update. But, I think the next chapter should be up in less than a week, just cause I can't wait for it to get ACTUALLY interesting. Should be in a chapter or two. Lets see if I can keep my word though..

_I couldn't be late again! And after actually meeting the quota this week! I ran back to the building, watching the sun see over the horizon. Shit, shit, shit. I didn't, no I couldn't slow down, no matter how tired. Unintentionally, my speed did slow, but I finally saw that dreadful place I refused to call home. The sun hadn't set just yet. Maybe I could make it._

_My hopes were immediately crushed. The men had walked outside, a bat in one’s hand, and a knife in the other’s. I stopped, once their gazes met mine. They shared a few words between each other, before heading in my direction.  I wanted to turn to run, but I knew it’d be a breeze for them to chase a 15 year old down. Instead, I froze in place._

_“Washington, get your little ass over here!” They hollered, stopping and waiting. I raced over to them, still a bit tired from all that running earlier. My body tensed when the man with the bat rocked it a bit._

_“You’re late, AGAIN.” The knife wielding one hissed. “I’m surprised you haven’t learned, especially from last time, and the time before.” He motioned to the healing wounds on my arms and cheek. I rubbed a scar on my shoulder, remembering the brutal punishment. The men closed in on me, causing me to take a step back._

_“You know trying to run will only revert to a worse punishment.” One smirked. “If that’s what you want, I don’t mind doing a bit more damage.” I came to a standstill, as they continued to get closer. The man swung the bat back, his smirk morphing into a wolfish smile. “Wow. Smarter than I thought.” In the blink of an eye, the bat smacked into my leg, knocking me to my knees. Another immediate impact hit my side, causing me to cough._

_The man with the knife hovered over me, a wicked grin plastered on his mug. He lowered the knife towards my face. I tried squirming away, but the the other guy tossed the bat to the side, and restrained me from escaping. The blade wielding man held my face in place, barely gliding the blade against my cheek. With a mischievous snicker, he dug the knife into my skin, cutting a jagged line across my jaw I cried out in pain, but a hand was forced over my mouth, silencing me. My whimpers were muffled, as the blade dug into my arms._

_That man, who used the bat on me earlier, retrieved it once more, striking my head. My vision began to blur. I tried twisting out of their grasps once more, but to no avail. The bat hit my side once more, causing me to let out another scream._

_But, this last squeal didn’t sound muffled, or like mine. It sounded more like someone yelling. I still felt the man’s hand pressed on my mouth. The yell felt surreal. Was it saying something? I tried searching around, trying to find the source, but my vision, and the damage being done to me, prevented me from focusing on anything.. The tone of the howl didn’t even sound familiar.. I tried listening closer, to listen for another scream…_

 

“Tucker!!” That same voice shouted once more. Wash, in a daze, fluttered his eyes open, and shot straight up, in a panic. His vision was blurred with sleep, causing him to rub his eyes and search around. He realized where he was, and what happened last night.. Wash ended up staying in that guy’s apartment, Tucker, wasn’t it? “God dammit Tucker, get your ass out here!!” That shriek snapped Wash’s attention back to the present. He scouted around for the source of the voice. It wasn’t Tucker. It was a black haired, and pale man, standing in front of him. Behind him was a taller blonde guy. The pale man held a chef’s knife in his hand, a worried look on his face.

Washington remembered where he placed his things. He jumped up, and threw his hoodie to the side, snatching his knife out from under it. He readied himself for any attacks, awaiting he would need to use the knife on these two. Both of the new guys backed up, holding the knife farther out.

“TUCKER!” Both of the men practically screamed. The sound of a door opening and slamming shut startled Wash. He twisted around to see Tucker, who was still in his pajamas, standing in front of his door, and rubbing the sleep from his eyes.

"God dammit Leonard.. what is it..?" He mumbled, beaming at the three in the living room, with drowsy eyes. His eyes immediacy shot open. "Woah, woah!" Tucker ran between them, facing the two new faces. "Leonard, put the knife down! He's chill!"

The man with the kitchen knife, Leonard, hesitated. "How 'bout telling your fucking thug friend to put his down! That dried blood on it's probably from his last dumbass victim!" He panicked.

Tucker spun on his heel, eyeing Wash. He would have been freaked out about Wash's blood stained blade, if he didn't know what happened last night. "Wash, put the knife away. They're cool. They aren't much of a threat, to anything. And I mean anyth-"

"Oh shut up Tucker! I could kick someone's ass! If Michael had some brain instead of brawn, he could be a threat too!" Leonard motioned to the man behind him.

"I do not like hurting people. That involves getting angry. Yeah i forgot how to do that" The man behind him, Michael rambled. Tucker rolled his eyes, ignoring Leonard's words and Michael's idiotic sentence.

"Wash, Leonard, put the knives away, and let me tell you," Tucker turned to Leonard and Michael. "Who he is, and why he's here. And I'll tell you," He glanced at Wash. "Who these guys are."

They both didn't move for a few moments. Leonard was the first to back down, tossing the knife onto the coffee table. Wash quickly threw his hoodie on, stuffing the knife in the front pocket. Hopefully the others were too focused on what just happened, to spot the marks everywhere on his upper body. Tucker sighed.and began walking to the other room. Wash waited for the other two to go first, before following them into the dining room and kitchen area.  Tucker sat down on one side of the dining table, while Michael and Leonard settled on the other. Wash slowly placed himself next to Tucker, twiddling his thumbs in his lap. He felt a bit awkward and misplaced. The dream he had last night didn't make him feel any better.

Tension and silence arose in the room. Leonard severed the quiet, by clearing his throat. "So, Tucker, have you told your shady-looking friend who we are? If not, go ahead! While you're at it, might as well tell us what the hell he's doing here?" He hissed, folding his arms and placing them onto the table.

"Asshole.." He muttered, before beginning. "Wash, this is Leonard and Michael, my roommates. Leonard, Michael, this is Washington, or Wash, for short."

"It's nice meeting you, Washingtub!" Michael grinned goofily, extending an his hand out. Wash was hesitant, but reached for his hand, shaking it.

"It's a pleasure.." He responded, little emotion in his voice. He tried pulling his hand away, but Michael just continue to shake his hand.

Tucker half expected Leonard to reach and shake Wash's hand, but of course, he didn't. Instead, he just blurted out, "Okay, okay, intro over. I still wanna know WHY he's in our apartment."

Wash rubbed his arm. "It's pretty lengthy story. Long story short, I was in need of a place to hide low and stay, and Tucker was nice enough to let me stay here for awhile. He also added that that if that if I that if I stay longer than 4 days, I have to pay rent for the months I stay.” Leonard groaned, kneading the top of the bridge of his nose.  

"I guess he can fucking stay. But he better stick by that rent thing. I ain't letting some freeloader stay or live here. And maybe we should find some other place for him to sleep, besides my couch?" Leonard up, as stomped out of the dining room. Before exiting, he paused in the entryway.

"Hey, Tex wanted my help move out, and into her own place today. She finally gets to be free of that crazy house with her psycho mom. Anyways, why don't you and Dumbfuck bring the newbie into town, and show him around. He doesn't seem like the downtown type, and if he's gonna be staying here, might as well show him the town." He suggested to Tucker, and finally left. The front door sounded as if it was gonna fall off it’s hinges from Leonard slamming so hard. Wash scrunched his face, a bit insulted when he was called a 'newbie'. But, he couldn't really deny it, it was the truth.

Tucker rose to his feet, stretching his arms. “Alright, sounds like a plan. It’ll waste some time, unless you know everything around town?” Washington shook his head. He usually stayed in the outskirts of town, and hadn't seen much of city itself. It was much easier to steal from airheads out there, and get away with it. There was practically no one to see it happen. Crowded cities were too risky. “Okay. Let me and Michael put some damn clothes on, and then we’ll leave.” He started out of the dining room, motioning for Michael to follow him. “Come on dude. And put actual clothes on this time. You’re not leaving the apartment in your swim trunks again.” He narrowed his eyes. Michael hopped to his feet, trailing him out.

Wash heard their two doors close, and he eventually rose from his chair. He dawdled out, and into the living room. While waiting, he stared down at his hoodie. It was so torn and ragged. Should he wear it out? He breathed in, thinking the question over. With it on, people might think he’s a bum or something. However, if he didn’t wear anything over his tank, everyone would notice his horrendous scars. Exhaling, he lifted it off, grasping it in his arms. Wash jumped a bit from another door smacking closed, and ripped his attention from his jacket. It was just Tucker. He barely changed; just throwing his dreadlocks up, and putting a teal zip up on.

Tucker glared down the hallway as he wandered into the living room. “Man, Michael takes his sweet ass time. He’s probably co-” Tucker hushed himself, gawking wide eyed at Wash. “Wh… Dude, why are your arms so scarred up?” The room went still. Wash simply ignored what Tucker mentioned, and huffed loudly, settling the hoodie back on.

Michael pranced down the hallway, erasing some of the tension stuck in the room. "Wow, he did it all by himself, and decently too." Tucker laughed at his own remark,and headed to the front door. Michael didn’t appear to mind what he said, and mosied over the door. Tucker swung the door open, and strode out, glancing back into the apartment. “Come on Wash!” Wash hurried out, and shut the door behind him. Tucker led the two to an elevator, and hopped inside once it opened.

“Can I press the button, Tucker??” Michael’s eyes lit up, beaming brightly. Tucker chuckled, and Wash even cracked a grin at his childlike attitude`.

“Knock yourself out.” Michael pressed a button that had ‘Lobby’ printed onto it, and the elevator began traveling to the lower floor. Wash gripped the railing tightly, clenching his teeth. It’s not that he was scared. He hadn’t rid an elevator much when he was younger, and he didn’t at all while stuck in THAT place. He remembered all the stories about elevators breaking down, and the cable snapping and it plummeting.

The elevator suddenly halted. Wash glanced around in a panic. The elevator wasn’t going to drop, right? While looking around, he observed Tucker giving him an odd stare. Wash loosened his grip on the railing, and turned his attention to him. Tucker rose a brow.

“Uuh, you okay?” Wash swallowed, and nervously nodded his head. The elevator doors opened, but it didn’t have that lobby impression. Wash’s eyes drifted to the the flashing screen above the buttons, that showed what floor they were at. It was only the 4th. A woman trudged in, a suitcase in her hands. She stood between Washington and Michael, eyeing Wash with narrowed eyes. He scrunched his face, giving her a weird glare. The woman took a step, clutching her case close to her chest. Wash looked a bit offended and hurt. _Is she scared of me or something?_

The elevator slid open once more, and the woman scurried out in the blink of an eye. The three poured out not long after. Strolling into the lobby, Wash realized just how rich and nice looking the interior of the apartment building was. He gaped in awe, and barely kept up with Tucker and Michael.

Wash snapped back to reality when something looped around his arm. "Come on Washington!” Michael cheered, pulling him out of the lobby. The two followed Tucker into the busy streets. Wash practically froze, registering just how many people lived here. There had to be over ten thousand! He tensed up, curious to know if his ex-captors were still hunting for him. But thinking over just how many people are in these streets, it’d be unlikely. He inhaled, loosening up and standing side-by-side Tucker and Michael.

“So…” Wash cleared his throat, tugging the other’s gazes to him. “Where are we off to first?” Tucker rubbed his chin, thinking of somewhere to go. A smirk spread across his face. He held Wash’s wrist, pulling him and Michael through the street. The sudden touch surprised Wash, but he didn’t look  into it.

“I know just the place!"

 

After a few minutes of being dragged around, they approached a small stone building, with a large sign next to it. Atop of the sign rested the famous gold 'M'. McDonald's. Tucker stopped, pulling out his wallet and counting the money stuffed in it.

"Oooh, oooh!" Michael hopped in place, his eyes glistening. "Are we gonna see Donut and the others?"

Tucker closed his wallet, and shoved the door open to walk in. "Eeyup. They can meet the new guy, and we can get some food." Wash shuffled in place, knowing the 'new guy' was him. Had they thought of him as a new acquaintance, or new friend? He waited for Michael skip inside, before he proceeded through the doors. It had been awhile since he'd even step a foot near a McDonald's, or any restaurant for that matter. The building was way nicer than last time he visited a McDonald’s. Was the food still the same?

“Oh heeey guys!” A blonde haired guy cheered, wrapping his arms around Tucker and Michael’s shoulder. He turned to Wash, and waved. “Hi! Who’s the new guy?” Wash gave the blonde an odd gaze when he eyes him up and down, but the guy didn’t seem to notice. Before Wash could answer his question, Tucker butted in.

“I’ll introduce ya in a bit. Go get Dexter and Dick’s asses out of the kitchen. They should be on break in a few, right?” Tucker gestured to the ordering counter. He grabbed his wallet, pulling a twenty dollar bill out. “And get all of us a burger each. Dexter can deal.” The blonde nodded, pacing to the counter.

“Yep, and I’ll get those for ya~. Go sit down, and we’ll be over in a bit!” He slipped behind the counter, and disappeared into the kitchen. Washington tried to hold in his giggles, and trailed behind the others, following them to an empty table. Dick.. Never met someone with that name. It has to be short for something. That’d just be cruel. They sat down in the metal chairs, waiting for the blonde and whoever ‘Dexter’ and ‘Dick’ were. Wash relaxed a bit, and smiled to himself. He actually felt decently normal here, despite his several scars, and his almost criminal-like appearance. Even the blonde worker didn’t seem to mind how he dressed or anything. He was a bit thrilled to meet the others that Tucker and Michael had mentioned. Wash shot up a little, realizing Michael was rambling aimlessly to him.

“...I just don’t understand why the dog didn’t respond to me. Did he not want to be my friend?” He cried, a sad expression on his face.

Wash shook his head, trying to find a way to respond, since he wasn’t paying attention. “No.. I, uh, bet he just didn’t know you well enough?” He laughed nervously, getting a positive reaction from Michael.

“You know, you’re right. Maybe I should try to act more dog-like..” He trailed off, pondering to himself. Wash peered at Tucker, and rose a brow. Tucker waved Michael’s behavior off.

“You’ll get used to him. This is how he normally acts.” He glanced at Michael, who was fiddling with a straw wrapper he found. Tucker rolled his eyes, looking back at Washington. They both laughed at Michael’s childlike behavior, but Wash paused, the same smile still spread on his face.

_New guy, huh? Maybe things are looking up for me. I could probably get used to these guys as friends._

Though Wash couldn’t help but feel like something was off. The men that held him prisoner for all these years.. They wouldn’t let him off the hook that easily, even if he was already 18. Wash just had to keep a low profile, that’s all. Get a job, buy some clothes that aren't so ratty.. They’d have to give up eventually.

_Only time will tell. I just have to keep a cool head, and not think about it._

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry if I offended Richards that go by Dick. Your name is great, and I didn't mean to offend you.


	3. They are SUCH dorks

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> OKAY. I know what I said, but it looks like I couldn't keep my promise. I've been really busy, with the end of year stuff at school. Plus, I'm going to comic-con during memorial weekend, so I'm working on two cosplays. So much work!
> 
> Anyways, enough about me, that's not why you're here. Next chapter should be up within 10 days. Things should start getting a bit cutesy and feelsy. Lets see how things go!

"You came all this way to see us?" A loud crash of someone sitting in a metal chair startled everyone. Washington twisted in his chair, facing the person who sat down. It was a relatively large man, with stuffy brown hair. The brunette, who held a burger, took a large bite of the food and spoke, still chewing. "I'm flattered." Wash watched as the blonde from before, and another brunette with glasses marched to the table, plopping down in the free seats. The blonde had a stack of burgers, and handed one to everyone, except the brunette already eating.

Everyone began unwrapping their burgers, but Wash hesitated, staring down at the burger. It felt odd, someone openly, and willingly giving something. Most of the time, there was a catch. He took a deep breath, and began eating, along with the others.

The blonde smacked his hand down on the table, causing everyone's attention to switch to him. "So, introduce us to your new friend!" He beamed. "I'm Frank. Those these two,” Frank gestured to the other two new faces.”tend to call me Donut. I mean, I know I taste oh so sweet a-"

"Okay, moving on.." The taller brunette cut in, an odd look on his face. Wash's brows shot up, a bit shocked about the situation. "I'm Richard, and this is Dexter." He gestured to the other brunette. Tucker and Grif tried to hide their laughter, but everyone knew they were laughing.

“We call him Dick for short. He hates it, but it’s hilarious.” Dexter whipped his eyes, watering for laughing so much Richard punched him in the arm, but it barely phased him. Instead, Dexter shoved him, causing him to almost fall out of his chair.

Richard adjusted himself, and Tucker broke in a hysterical laughter. He tried saying something, but they could barely make it out. “As you can tell, those two are SOOO in love.” He laughed a bit more, before finally calming down. Wash turned to face them, and nodded a bit,  cracking a smile. _They would look good together, if they were a couple._

Frank eyes twinkled, looking at Washington. “Okay, now give it to us!” He said, causing Wash to look at him with wide eyes. The other’s just groaned. “Tell us about yourself!”

Everyone turned to Wash, waiting for an answer. He shifted in his seat, thinking of something to say. He didnt want to seem like a criminal, or a freak. He cleared his throat, opening his mouth to say something. “Uuh, just call me Washington, or Wash.” He stopped for a moment. Everyone's eyes were on him, as if they wanted more. There was no way he'd tell them about himself. “There’s not much else about me.. “ He rubbed his neck, looking away.

Tucker dismissed what Wash said. “Nu uh, there’s way more! Remember, ya told me about how you had to rob pe-” Wash clamped his hand around Tucker’s mouth, hushing him. Wash laughed nervously. When he thought no one was looking, he gave Tucker a glare, signaling him to stop.

 _If they knew about my past, they probably would think I’m crazy! I’m surprised Tucker wasn't freaking out.._ Tucker looked at him with narrowed eyes, but his expression softened when he noticed the others looking at them, dumbfounded. Frank appeared a bit anxious, twiddling his thumbs around.

“R-Rob??” He panicked. Wash let go of Tucker, waving his hands in denial.  

“No, no, no! H-He said said.. uh, rock! Y-Yeah!” He kept glancing away. What was he going to say? “I… was quite a singer back then, yep..!” _What are you saying?! You can’t sing for SHIT. This is not going to work_.

Donut's face lit up, actually believing the terrible lie. “Really? I bet you could really turn on the crowd’s mood!” He gleamed warmly. “Could you sing for us? I'm dying to hear!” Tucker laughed, kind of curious if Washington could sing or not.

“Go ahead Wash. Let’s hear ya!” Wash gulped, tugging lightly on his hoodie collar. He didn't know what to do.

“Come on Washington! Sing for us!” Michael pumped his arms up and down. Wash bit his lip, but took a deep breath. He opened his mouth, but no sound came out. He didn't want to violently destroy their ears. Wash decided to speak up, and admit that what he said was a lie. But his ass got saved. Before he could finish his thought, a loud intercom came on.

 **“Donut, Simmons, Grif! Get in here! Break’s over!”** A booming voice came from above. Richard turned to the clock, leaning forward to get a better look.

“Oh jeez, time’s up?” He rose to his feet up, finishing his burger. Donut and Dexter rose to their feet as well, tailing him towards the kitchen. “Time to work again. It was nice meeting you, see you later.” The three disappeared into the kitchen, leaving Tucker, Wash, and Michael sitting at the table. Tucker hopped to his feet, shoving his hands into his jacket pockets.

“It’s so lame how they have short ass breaks.” He sighed, heading towards the entrance of the building. Michael stood up, and trailed him, swinging his arms happily. Wash stayed in his seat for a bit, before finally following them out of the building.

 

Outside of the McDonald’s, Tucker rhythmically strode , leaving Wash and Michael a few steps behind him. Michael put his hand on Wash’s shoulder, staring at him with big, curious eyes.

“Washington, can you sing?” He asked, tilting his head. Wash huffed, a harder than normal expression spread on his face.

"I could, if you want someone to lose your hearing." He crossed his arms, laughing. He picked up his speed, wandering up to Tucker. "So, what's the plan?"

Tucker gazed up, not watching where he was walking. "Eeehh, I was thinking we'd just chill in the park." He peered down, rubbing his chin and spoke aimlessly" We can't really do much, Leonard keeps ahold of most of the money.." Michael sprinted next to the two, grinning.

"Why don't we go get some money from him? We need more snacks at home. And I'm sure he misses his best friend." He held his chest out, proud. Tucker pulled a cell phone out of his pocket, but paused.

"Are you crazy? He's helping ALLISON move. Last time I checked, she wasn't very damn fond of us. Plus, we don’t know where she lives.” Wash rolled his eyes.

“Couldn't you call, and I don’t know, ask?” He rose a brow. _Seems pretty obvious to me._ Tucker gaped, as he realized how clear that was.

“Well.. uh…. Shut the fuck up.” He grumbled, and started dialing someone’s number on his phone, trying to conceal a smile. Wash yukked, adjusting his hoodie to keep him occupied, while Tucker made the call.

Michael and Wash tracked Tucker to an empty bench, sitting down. Tucker shook his leg impatiently, waiting for the phone to stop ringing. His leg stopped, and he finally spoke. “Hey, Leonard! What’s up?” Washington scanned around the city, tuning out what Tucker was saying. “So, we need….” The buildings stood so elevated. The shortest structure had to be at least 15 stories. Who’s want to work, hell, even step foot in a tower so tall? Wash’s eyes began trailing down to the crowd trekking the streets. _Wow. So many people live here. Wonder what all the hype's abo-_

Wash’s eyes shot open. There. In the swarm of people. It looked like… no, it couldn't be.. Was it.. his.. ex captors..? He leaned in his spot, narrowing his eyes to focus on the two familiar people.

A hand shaking his shoulder startled him, causing him to almost knock Tucker in the face. Tucker leaned back, lifting his hand from his shoulder. “Woah.. you okay man?” Wash turned to him, and glanced back to the crowd. He couldn't spot the familiar faces anywhere! _Where did they go?!_ “Dude!” Tucker snapped his finger, returning Wash’s attention to him. Michael and him both had worried expressions on their faces. “What’s up?”  
Was twisted to face the crowd again, but quickly gave up on finding those two familiar looking men. He finally realized just how much he was trembling, and just at the sight of something that reminded him of that awful prison he was stuck in, and the people in it. He took a deep breath, soothing himself a bit. “Y-Yeah.. I’m fine.”

Tucker and Michael hopped up, with Wash copying their actions. “Good. We’re gonna head to Leonard’s girlfriend’s house. She’s that Allison chick Leonard was talking about this morning.” Wash nodded, remembering the name from earlier in the day. _So that’s who that ‘Allison’ is._ “Luckily, she just lives on the outskirts of town. We’re not TOO far from there. I’d say about a 15, 20 minute trip? Shouldn't be that hard.” Wash looked at Michael, then back to Tucker. Michael had the upper strength like a bull, while Tucker was so weak in comparison.

“I bet if we run there, we’d get there much quicker.” He suggested, a smirk creeping on his face. Tucker’s shoulders dropped a bit.

“Nah, that's okay. We should ju-”

“Lets go see Leonard!”  Michael shouted, bolting down the sidewalk, and cutting off Tucker. Tucker groans, rubbing his face.

“No, Michael, slow down! You’re gonna fucking get lost!” He chased  after him. Wash broke into a full on smile, sprinting after the two. He continued running, and finally caught up Tucker. He watched the dreadlocked boy, the curve fading from his lips. He didn't get it. _I shouldn't be acting all buddy-buddy with him and Michael. But.. I can’t help it. Why do I act like I've known them for months? It’s been a day.._

Washington slowed down a bit, losing some motivation to run. Tucker hardly noticed, and was actually relieved for this. He panted hard, making it extremely hard to make out his words. “Holy… shit..” He knelt over, hands on his knees. Wash’s breath was normal. He patted the darker boy’s back.

“Legs day isn't your thing, is it?” Tucker straightened his back, and rolled his eyes, a smirk appearing on the corner of his lips.

“Whatever..” He eyed the crowd, barely seeing Michael’s dark blue shirt. “Shit..!” He raced through the group, trying to dodge as many people as possible. Wash chased them, chuckling to himself. _Out of all the people’s windows I could have climbed through. It was theirs._

 

It took quite awhile, but Washington and Tucker finally caught up to Michael. It was a game of cat and mouse the whole trip to Allison’s house. The three finally stumbled down a street, stopping at a light blue house on the corner. Tucker fell to his knees, wheezing. Wash shook his head, and strolled over to Michael, taking some deep breaths. Michael didn't seem phased by the run. “Lets go in!” Michael cheered, bouncing over to the front door of the house. Wash headed towards the door as well, keeping a relatively slow pace for Tucker to catch up. The two made it to the entrance. They all surveyed each other, waiting for someone to knock. Michael grew too impatient, and banged on the wooden plank. Loud shouting, and stomping could be heard from the other side. Wash tensed up, a bit frightened to know what lied inside. The door swung open, crashing against the wall. Tucker flung upward, and Washington took a step back. A frustrated blonde was stationed on the other side of the door, sweat dripping down her face. _This must be Allison._

“Oh joy.” She groaned, stepping to the side to let the three enter. Tucker, who finally caught his breath, scowled at her, and started inside the house.

“What? Didn't Leonard tell ya we were coming?” Tucker crossed his arms. Michael skipped through the door, with Wash following nonchalantly.

“Yeah, I was just hoping you’d get lost.” Allison snapped. Wash scanned the interior of the house, noticing how sprawled out and messy everything was. Allison shoved him a bit, causing him to stumble in surprise. “Who’s this guy? A new roomie?”

Tucker shrugged a bit. “Possibly. He’s staying with us now, but I said he could stay, if he helps around, like the rest of us. Besides, help paying the rent is always welcomed.” Wash's eyes widened, shocked by his words. _So, they'd really let me stay if I wanted?_

“So, he has to help around, just like you guys? He’ll have it easy. You guys don’t do shit.” She smirked, laughing. Tucker gasped, looking offended.

“Shut up! We keep our apartment spotless!” He huffed, and scouted around. “We’ll get out of your hair in a sec. Where’s Leonard?”

Allison pointed down. “He’s in the basement. He was helping me move some exercise equipment. Not that you've ever seen something so ‘rare’.” Tucker grumbled, causing her to raise her hands in defense. “Sorry, sorry. Let me call him.” She stomped her foot three times, shouting, “LEONARD! Get your ass up here!”

Leonard emerged from an open door frame, looking exhausted and tired. “Whaat?” He held his back, sauntering up the stairs. He straightened up when he saw Washington and the others. "Oh, you’re here.."  He narrowed his eyes, digging in his jeans pocket. He pulled out a wad of money, discarding just how much. "Here. Go buy some **_good_** food. Not just cookie dough and Cheetos. I want to eat something ** _nutritious_** tonight, okay?" Allison jogged over to the basement store, giving the boys a little wave.

"Have fun. Not get out of my house. Don't stay out too late!" She gave Leonard a little nudge, and the two disappeared into the basement.

Tucker counted how much money was crumple into the wad, as he led the others out of the house. He came to a sudden halt, and his eyes shot open. "Holy shit. He just threw 80 bucks at us to spend!" Tucker looked at Wash, like a kid in a candy store, and hurled an arm around him . "Image what we can buy with this! Buddy, we're gonna have a feast!"  He gripped Wash and Michael's wrist, pulling them down the sidewalk. Wash squinted his eyes, a large grin plastered on his face. He could barely hold in his laughter.

Wow, he's such a big dork..


	4. Banneed From the Kitchen

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> WOW AM I SORRY THIS TOOK SO LONG.   
> I've just been busy, cause first, there was ComicCon, then there was finals at school. I promise updates should be decently consistent now!

Washington struggled to situate the grocery bags on his arms, while holding the door open for Michael and Tucker. The plastic bags wouldn't stop slipping down his arms! When the two finally marched inside, Wash hip bumped the door closed, and rushed to the kitchen counter, releasing the bags. _Goddamn, this is a lot of food!_ Wash stretched his arms out, watching the others put their handful of groceries on the counter.

Tucker yawned, and placed his and on his waist. “Well, Leonard should be home sometime soon. What should we plan for him to make?" He twisted towards the bags piled on the counters, digging through them. Michael crept up behind him, peering over his shoulder. "Lets see.. we got stuff for spaghetti, some hamburger stuff..."

"Oh! Oh!" Michael hopped in place, and waved his hand in the air. He dropped his arm down, once Tucker looked at him. "Lets have macaroni! It's a food, and an art. Best of both worlds!"

Wash sighed, rubbing his head. He walked over to the groceries, rummaging through them. "Are you really going to make Leonard cook, especially after a hard day of moving with Allison?"

"I bet that wasn't the only thing hard today. Bow chicka wow wow!" Tucker snickered, and raised his hands, awaiting someone to high five him. Rejection, they left him hanging. Wash groaned, and spun to face the groceries.

"If we cook now, then Leonard wouldn't have so much on his plate. Wouldn't it be nice for him to come over after a stressful day, and have food prepared? Besides, It’s already seven!" He asked, hoping they'd agree. They just stared him dead in the eye.

"Last time we cooked, we burnt waffles so bad, we could have killed a bird with them. They were that charred and hard." Tucker narrowed his eyes.

Caboose beamed, butting in. "We almost killed ourselves! The fire was intense." Washington rolled his eyes. He tugged out the spaghetti noodles, and a can of tomato sauce. Stuffing his hand in another bag, he pulled out a pound of hamburger.

"Fine. I'll cook."

There was one issue though. Wash didn't really know how to cook. More like he couldn't remember When he was younger, he recalled helping his mother cook food, even pasta before. But over the years, he forgot what the steps were. He examined the ingredients he choose. _This was it, right? Was there a little more, to add flavor or something?_ Wash, with the noodles in his hand, turned to Tucker. “Where are the pots?” Tucker walked to the other side of the kitchen, and flung a lower cupboard open, showing the contents off like a showcase model. Wash headed over to him, pulling out a large pot, and looking at it. It looked a bit big for just noodles.

"Do you even **know** how to cook?” The dreadlocked boy cracked a smile, and hauled out a slightly smaller pot. Wash glared at him, and set the larger pot on the counter, yanking the pot away.

“Yeah, you can trust me!” He whirled on his heel, and clenched his teeth. _Yet another lie!_ His stomach fell to the bottom of his feet, feeling almost guilty for lying. He was bound to fuck up this food. Though, he knew they’d refuse cook, so he had to. He just hoped he wouldn’t burn the house down in the process.

Washington, pot in hand, trekked over to the sink and twisted the faucet on. He filled the pot up about halfway before it was taken out of the water. He carried the it attentively over to the stove, switched a knob on, setting the pot on the front big burner. He tore the spaghetti package open, crunched the noodles in half and threw them in. Proud of doing so well so far, Wash looked at Tucker, hands placed on his waist. “See? So far so good.”

Tucker tried to hold in his laughter, but completely failed. “First off, you left the sink running.” He sauntered over to it, turning it off posthaste. He scurried next to Wash, turning the knob off.

“Hey! I’m TRYING to cook!” Wash butted in, trying to defend himself.

"Trying to cook what? That’s the oven knob, numbnuts!” He pointed to the words above the recently turned knob. He was right. Tucker twisted the correct knob, before turning his attention to Caboose. “You might wanna go sit down. Our generous friend here will probably blow up the kitchen at this rate.” Wash scoffed.

“I can do this myself.” He shoved Tucker a bit, and reached for the tomato sauce can.

Tucker took a step back, crossing his arms. “Go ahead, I’ll get outta your way so you can finish. But I’m keeping an eye on you. Gotta make sure you don’t kill yourself.” Wash was a bit flattered that Tucker cared enough to make sure he was okay. But he knew it didn’t mean anything. The water on the stove finally began boiling, and Wash examined the can, trying to recall how to open it. He could use a… a can opener! But he didn’t want to ask Tucker for more assistance. _I don’t need help. I got this. I can always find my way outta a bind._ Wash rubbed his chin with his free hand. What could he do? He had no clue where anything was in this kitchen. Wash grinned a bit, an idea for the perfect substitute popping in his head. He yanked out his hidden knife from his hoodie, and aimed it at the top of the can. He pushed the blade through the lid, but he had trouble cutting it through the rest.

Push as hard as he could? No. Try twisting the can? Nu-uh. Nothing he tried worked at all.

A hand grasped Wash’s stopping him from struggling with the can. Wash turned to see Tucker, a smile on his dark face. “Dude, seriously?” He nodded towards the can, before taking it from him. Wash, empty handed, stuffed the knife back in his pocket. A light tint spread on his freckled cheeks from embarrassment. He watched Tucker open a top drawer, grab a can opener, and crack the can open. Wash flinched at the sharp sound of the blade twisting through the can.

“I could have done that…” He whined when Tucker handed the can back to him. Wash snatched it, face a bit darker.

"Suuure.” He laughed. "You’ve demonstrated that to me soo well.” Wash grumbled, returning to the pasta pot. But, something seemed off. Water was dripping down the side of the oven. Wash eyed the flow to the top of the stove, and froze. The boiling water was overflowing in the pot! Panicking, Wash spotted a nearby washcloth, and began cleaning up the large puddle. He could hear Tucker behind him laughing hysterically.

A loud slam from the front door startled everyone. They all froze in place, attentioned turned to entrance of the house. Just Leonard. Leonard searched around, eyes narrowed. His eyes stopped, and glued to the stove. “What the hell?!” He stormed into the kitchen, face turning red with frustration. “ What. The. Fuck!” He yanked the cloth away from Wash, and shoved him out of the way. Mopping up the rest of the water, he pulled a fitting lid from a nearby cabinet, and put it on the pot. Leonard’s face was as red as a tomato. “You two, shoo! Get out of my kitchen!”

Tucker and Wash scurried out of the kitchen, and sat on the couch in the living room, along with Michael. Michael grinned. “So, how did the cooking go, Wash?” Washington’s shoulders slumped as he turned his head away. Tucker nudged Michael, a smug smirk on his face.

“Leonard came home just in time to save him the embarrassment. We need to ban him from stepping into the kitchen!” He glanced at Wash’s shameful expression, and began cracking up.

 

Leonard fixed, and finished the meal Washington attempted to prepare. He called the three from the couch to sit at the table. Oven mitts and apron on, he brought the pots to the table. One full of spaghetti noodles, the other full of sauce and meatballs. He hurried back to the kitchen, and returned with parmesan cheese, and garlic bread. Leonard patted down his apron, slipped the mitts off, and sat down. “Now, lets make sure Washington doesn’t step a foot into my kitchen, and especially never attempts to cook again.”

"Don’t worry, I think I’m okay..” Wash rubbed his neck, looking to the side. He felt a bit bad. Wash really tried to make things easier for him. Not irritate him. _That was so smooth. You could have burnt the house down.._

Tucker shrugged a bit, smiling as he remembered the humorous scene in the kitchen. “We’ll make sure he stays away from the kitchen, but hey, ya gotta give him some props for trying. Especially when it seems like he can’t cook for shit.” He glanced at Wash, his dimples and grin growing for a moment. “He did try to make things easier for everyone.”

Michael clapped, and shot Wash a thumbs up. “It’s okay Washington! My best friend understands that you tried, but failed, to be helpful.” Wash gave him a fake grin. Leonard huffed, and poured some noodles, along with sauce, on his plate.

"Yeah, yeah. All is well. Just stay away from my sanctuary.” Grabbing a piece of garlic bread, he passed the the two pots around. Everyone filled their plates, Michael serving himself last. His share of spaghetti and bread could have fed all three of them! All three of the original housemates ate like starving dogs. On the other hand, Wash had barely scarfed down three bites. He watched the others finish up, not touching another noodle on his plate.

Leonard walked around the table, gathering the clear plates. He stood behind Wash, one hand balancing the stack of plates, the other on his hip. "Hey Washington, you done?" He gestured to the full plate. Wash looked up, before quickly averting his eyes.

"Yeah.." Wash felt sick with fear. He expected Leonard to shout and lecture him, not only for the kitchen fiasco, but for wasting food. Thats how he was practically raised. He just couldn't find the will to finish. When Leonard moved his hand, Wash flinched, bracing for an expected smack, or hit of some sort. _You've dealt with this before, you'll be fine._

Leonard's hand, however, continued moving, and gripped his plate. "Alright, I'll just mix it with the leftovers." He paused, and rose a brow once he noticed how tensed Wash was. He brushed it off, and trod into the kitchen.

 _I don't.. understand..._ Washington opened an eye, and saw Leonard was gone. Along with everyone else. He rushed to his feet, and into the living room.  _How awkward.._

"Yo, Wash." Tucker strolled next to Wash, and threw his arm around his shoulders. “Since you’ve been wearing those clothes for… who knows how damn long..” He led him down the hall to the farthest door, and opened it. “I asked Leonard if you could borrow some of his pjs, and shirts, since you two seem like you’d wear similar sizes. Only for the time being.” He motioned to the dresser in the room. “He said his pajamas should be in the 2nd drawer down.” He twirled around to walk away, but stopped. “Oh, and give me your clothes, so we can clean them later.”

“Don’t take a fucking century either, I need to sleep soon!” Leonard shouted from the kitchen, still mainly focused on cleaning the dishes. “I have to work way too damn early tomorrow!” Tucker waved Leonard’s words away.

"Just find something to sleep in. Don’t worry ‘bout him.” With his final thought, Tucker returned to the living room, shutting Wash in the room.

Washington sat awkwardly in the room for a moment, before promptly heading to the dresser. He pulled the 2nd drawer open, and grabbed the first bottoms and tops he found. Unfolding them, he began to disrobe, and inspected the pattern of the clothes. A light cobalt blue t-shirt, and simple grey sweats. He threw on the the selected clothes, but didn’t grab his previous outfit to leave. There was a large mirror above the dresser that reflected everything except his lower half. He couldn’t take his eyes off of the image staring back at him.

_He’s got alot of scars for someone his age. What the hell’s wrong with him?_

_You look like a runaway from the insane asylum with a face like that, and all those marks on your arms._

_I wouldn’t worry about Washington. In fact, he has the perfect weapon to use against his targets - his face!_

Those voices from the past rung in his head. Voices of his captors, the others stuck there with him. Wash didn’t quite get it. Everyone there had scars. Sure, he had a few more, from being tardy, a bit disrespectful, and some other regretful things. Yeah, those words hurt, but he had to keep his hard hat on. Plus, not keeping a tough attitude in a place like could really screw with someone. Wash grabbed his head, trying to clear the voices from his mind. Working insufficiently, he snatched his dirty clothes, and stormed out of the room.

"Good, you found something that fits! Looks a bi-” Tucker started, releasing his dreadlocks from the ponytail. Though the impact of Wash’s dirty attire hitting his chest halted his thought. Tucker caught the wadded clothes, and narrowed his eyes at Wash, who continued down the hall, frustration washing over him.

"You’re done. Perfect, just in time.” Leonard finished drying the last dish. He put in the dishwasher, and drained the hot water in the sink. Taking off his apron, he trudged into his room, unintentionally slamming the door shut. Wash stomped over to the couch, and sat on the far end, away from Michael. He sighed and rubbed his face, head bowed.

Michael tilted his head. “Washington, are you okay? You seem tense.”

Wash crossed his legs, back facing him. “Yep. I’m perfect. Just peachy!” His voice was full of sarcasm. Michael, not realizing the sarcastic tone, nodded, his usual goofy grin plastered on his face.

“That’s good. Cause it always sucks to see people sad, and be s-” Tucker stood behind the couch, towering Michael. He pressed one hand on Michael’s shoulder, while the other rested on his hip.

"Ey, Michael. Why don’t ya get ready to sleep? It’s like eight thirty, nine-ish.” Michael hopped to his feet, and bounced down the hall, arms swinging at his side.

"Alright! Goodnight!” He waved at both of them, and headed into his room. Tucker waited for his door to shut before moving. He ambled around the couch, sitting down next to Wash.

"What’s got your panties in a wad?” He leaned forward, trying to look Wash in the eyes. Wash refused to turn and face him. He pivoted his torso even farther away. Tucker huffed, crossing his arms. “Oooh, the silent treatment. How threatening!” He rolled his eyes, looking back in his direction. “C’mon man. What’s up?”

Wash eventually gave in a bit, turning to face Tucker. “Fill me in. Why do you care?”

"Because I can. That’s what friends do, no matter how soon ya meet them.” He threw his arm around him, dragging him closer to fill the gap between them. “So, give me the details. Why you all fussy?”

Wash scrunched up his face, looking away. “I’m not being fussy. It doesn’t matter.”

Tucker groaned. “Um if it has you worked up, it obviously matters. Now stop stalling. Give it up, and tell me.” Wash’s eyes widened in surprise. _Wow, he’s doing a good job pretending to give a damn. Unless, he really does..?_

Wash rose his hands, exhaling. “Okay, okay. Fine. But I’m telling you, it's really ridiculous.” Tucker continued looking him in the eyes, waiting for him to continue. “Well, I usually wear my hoodie, to cover up my arms. This shirt doesn't have much sleeves, so I can easily notice the scars strung on my arm.” He could feel Tucker’s eyes staring at his nicked up arms, causing him to rub them defensively. “The scars remind me of being locked in that dreadful place, and everyone in it…” He paused, before continuing. “Almost all of the other kids there, and even the captors, loved pointing out that I had more scars than everyone else. They said I looked like someone from an insane asylum, or like an animal. It’s just… I hate being reminded that, well, they’re sorta right.” He chuckled, trying to keep an ‘upbeat’ attitude. Though, not being such a cheery guy, the act was clearly seen through.

Tucker laughed. “You’re right. That is a bit ridiculous. I mean, when I look at you, I don’t see someone from an insane asylum. The scars make you unique, give you character. They look pretty badass!” He gave him a reassuring, warm smile. Wash was shocked by the sudden compliment. His cheeks flushed bright pink. Tucker laughed even more, and patted Wash’s back, before rising to his feet. “Sorry, but with that color spread on your face, you definitely don’t look manly.” Tucker rounded around the couch, mumbling something under his breath. Wash tried making it out, but didn’t hear much.

 _Huh, If I didn’t know better, I’d say I heard something about ‘adorable’..._ Wash, too interested, just had to learn what was said. “What did you say?”

Tucker, already down the hall, laughed and shouted, “Don’t worry about it. It's not important. Goodnight!”


	5. Shopping Spree

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So I didn't post exactly in ten days, but what are ya gonna do? I wasn't able to get on a computer to actually post the chapter.. Sorry!
> 
> AND OH MY GO D. I FORGOT TO CLEAR SOMETHING UP. If you guys haven't figured it out yet, the italics are, or at least most of the time?, gonna be Wash's thoughts. It might have been obvious, might not. Just thought I should have said something about it. Probably should have said something sooner, buuut I forgot.. Anyways, happy reading!

"Washington."

"Pleeaase wake up."

"Washington!"

The mixture of the harsh whispers, and something rocking him, awoke Wash in a frenzy. He jolted up, and curled himself up at one end of the couch. Focusing on his surroundings, he loosened up a bit. Combing a hand through the mess of blonde hair on his head, Wash gazed up at whoever woke him. Michael. "What? Why did you wake me?" He asked coldly, rubbing the sleep out of his eyes.

With a sneeze, Michael responded. "I can’t breath through my nose, and my body aches. I think I’m sick..” He rubbed his arms, and whined. “And it’s cooold.”

_And why are you telling me this?_ Washington reluctantly hopped off the couch. “Why don’t you ask Leonard or Tucker? I’m not really the go-to guy for this..” When he’s been sick in the past, he never really got ‘medicine’, like most people. He usually had to wait it out. So, Wash knew little to nothing about how to treat a cold.

Michael frowned, peering down the hall. “Leonard’s not here, and Tucker’s scary when he’s woken up.” He shuddered. Wash rolled his eyes, and tromped down the hallway.

“I’ll wake him for you.” He walked up to Tucker’s bedroom, and pushed the cracked door open. Caboose rushed to the room’s entrance, watching the other sneak his way to the occupied bed. It took some maneuvering, to make sure he didn’t trip over the dirty clothes scattered around. Wash stepped up to bed, and hovered over the sleepy _Tucker. His dreadlocks look so messy down. And hi-_

“Washington!” The soft, yet hard tone of Michael’s whisper snapped Wash out of his thinking trance. He twisted his head over his shoulders, eyeing the other, before facing down at Tucker once more.

Hesitantly, he shoved Tucker, his voice starting out quiet. “Tucker..” Still passed out. The sleeping man snored, and rolled on his side. Wash gave him another push, his voice raising. “Tucker, wake up.” Not even a mumble of some sort. “Tucker!” Wash shouted, finally waking Tucker. Though, Michael had the right idea of how he was, when he’s awoken unexpectedly.

Upon opening his eyes, he switched into defensive mode. He sat up, and swung his arm upwards, nearly smacking Wash. Though with his extreme reflexes, he halted his arm. Tucker blinked the sleep from his eyes, and ripped his arm from Wash’s grip. Giving the other in his rooms glares, he yawned. “What the hell are you doing in here?”

Washington stood up straight, and motioned towards Michael in the doorway. “Michael’s sick.” Tucker frowned, crossing his arms once he crawled out of bed.

“So you thought it was necessary to wake me up?” He groaned, walking over to his desk. Snatching a hair tie atop of it, he began tying his dreads up. “The problem was too hard for you?” Tucker put a hand on his hip as he finished his hair.

“I don’t know much about what to do, when someone gets sick.” Wash shot a glare back. Tucker huffed, heading out of the room. Michael followed him down the hall, with Wash tailing behind. Tucker staggered into the kitchen, still a bit drowsy from sleep. Being a bit too short to reach, he hopped on the counter. He opened the cabinets, and rummaged through it.

It didn’t take long for him to slam the cabinet door shut. The floor shook as Tucker sprung off the counter, and storm to the end of the hall. “We’re out of cold medicine. We need to go get some.” He swung the panel doors against the wall open, revealing the washing machine and dryer. Tucker opened the dryer, dug through the bundle of clothes, and pulled out some familiar clothes. “Here, hurry and put this on. You’re coming with me.” He threw Wash’s balled clothes at him. Closing up the dryer and closet, he headed back to his room. “Michael, go lay down and rest. We’ll have your medicine soon.” Tucker stepped into his room, locking the door.

Michael sauntered back to his room, shutting the door behind him. Wash unbundled the closes, as he walked back to the living room. The area appeared alright enough to change. He quickly stripped the pajamas, and threw on his his old clothes, glancing down at the attire. _The pajamas were way more comfortable. I hate these damn ragged clothes.._

Wash jumped, and glanced behind him, a bit startled at the shutting door. Tucker smirked. “You’re skittish as fuck.” He chuckled and adjusted the tank top he was wearing.

“Well, I’m not the only one. You seemed pretty jumpy this morning. Nearly smacked me.” The corners of Wash’s lips twitched, as if he were to smile. Tucker strode to the door.

“Be lucky you’ve got good reflexes. I would have left a pretty good mark.” The two laughed. “C’mon, lets go.” He pulled the door open, waiting for Wash to exit. Washington tilted his head at him, and trekked into the hall. Tucker stepped out into the hall, locking and shutting the door behind him. The two headed to the elevators, waiting for it one to appear after hitting the down button.

“What was with that?” Wash blurted. Tucker rose an eyebrow, his face twisting with confusion.

“What, me holding the door for ya?” He questioned. Wash nodded his head, narrowing his eyes. Tucker rolled his eyes. “It’s called being polite. I know, a bit uncommon for me. But I thought it would have been nice.”

Wash opened his mouth to respond, but the elevator doors opened. He didn’t get it. Tucker bought me food yesterday, listened to me vent last night, and now the door holding.. _There’s always a reason to people doing nice things. What’s the catch? I don’t have anything. So… why?_

 

The walk to the grocery store was relatively simple, and quiet. Wash kept to himself, pondering to find the reason as to why Tucker was being nice. Even Leonard and Michael. They at least showed some hint of kindness.

Tucker led Washington to the Target parking lot. Conveniently, the Target was relatively close to the apartment building. The two halted, inspecting the lot. The parking lot was filled to the brim with cars! “Oh great. Everyone and their grandma’s are gonna be here today, aren’t they?”

Wash shrugged. “Lets just get the medicine, and get out. I can’t stand big crowds.” He shuddered, and continued to the doors. Tucker jogged to his side, a smirk plastered on his face. Wash noticed Tucker’s expression, and furrowed his eyebrows. “What?”

“You’re lucky we came here at night, instead of during the day yesterday. This place sucks in the morning. Though they can be worse on weekends. That’s usually when people are off of work. Of course Michael needed his medicine on a Saturday.” He sighed, as they made their way into the building.

Washing gawked at him. “Then why the hell di-” He cut himself off, and froze, realizing just how bad the crowd was in here. He expected something bad, but not like this. With a gulp, Wash hid behind Tucker, shoving his back slightly. “Lets go wherever we need to. I do not want to stay a minute longer in here than necessary..” His voice shook. Tucker began walking once more, with Wash trailing close behind.

“Aw, do little Washington need to hold my hand?” He jokingly offered his hand. Wash pushed it away. “Just messing with ya. The cold medicine is just down this aisle. Lucky you, it’s so close to the entrance.” Tucker whirled on heel, and walked down an aisle. The shelves were full of a variety of medicines. Luckily, there weren’t a lot of people on aisle. Wash stopped, and searched through one of the medicine racks full of small boxes. None of them said anything about ‘relieving a cold’.

“I’m not finding any sort of medicine for a cold..” He continued searching on the rack below.

“Your not in the right area.” He laughed. Wash turned, and headed over to Tucker. _There’s so much fucking medicine._ Wash crossed his arms, as Tucker grabbed a box with bold lettering on it that read “COLD”. “Alright. We need to get a few more things, then we can head out.” He started down, and out of the aisle, and into the main walkway.

Wash grumbled, following him. “I thought you said that’s all we needed.” Tucker shrugged, heading to a section filled with clothes.

“Well, when I was getting your clothes out of the dryer this morning, I realized you only have outfit.” He pulled out his wallet, and rummaged through it. “I don’t have too much money, but maybe enough for a shirt or two.” He looked up, noticing the hard expression on Washington’s face. “What?”

“Seriously? Look, I don't know why your doing all this, but I don’t have shit. I thought you would have realized this.” He glared at him, trying his hardest to figure out Tucker’s reasoning behind all these noble acts.

Tucker rose a brow. “I don’t know what the fuck you’re talking about. I’m gonna go pay for this. “ He motioned to the cold medicine in his hand. “Go find some shirts that fit, preferably cheap ones, and stay here. I’ll be back in a bit.” He walked off, leaving Wash in clothes department by himself. He glanced around, standing there awkwardly.

“I guess I’ll look for something..” He mumbled to himself, walking up to the nearest rack of clothes. Sifting the the clothes, he found a variety of shirts. Tank tops, T-shirts, and hoodies of all sorts of colors. _I already have a hoodie, and just a T-shirt or tank top during the day? No. I always end up getting cold._  Wash groaned, shoving a beige tank to the side. Though, the next apparel item grabbed his eye. He took the hanger off the rack, and examined the clothing article. A nice, comfortable grey knit sweater. It would do. Wash scanned the crowds around the area, chills shooting up his back. _No sign of Tucker, but there really is a hell of a lot of people.._

A somewhat squeaky voice caught Wash’s attention. “Woow.” He looked down at the voice’s owner. A little kid, about 9, maybe. “You look cool with all those scars, like a superhero!” The boy beamed up at him, pointing to his face. “Did you get them fighting bad guys?”

Wash stayed still, nervousness filling him. “Excuse me…?” His voice cracked. He averted his eyes, fidgeting in place. Glancing down, the kid was still there. “Umm..” Wash knelt down, with gulp. Gotta act normal. “Y-Yeah.. like a superhero..!” _What are you doing?_ “I... make sure the city’s safe at night.” _Wow, THAT'S funny._ “Though, you can’t fight bad guys without some nice clothes..?” His voice rose. _You’re are a complete idiot._ Surprisingly, the boy’s smile got bigger.

“That’s so cool!” His face lit up. “I wanna be a superhero too!” Wash couldn’t help but smile back at the little kid. He was kind of adorable.

“Max!” A deeper voice hollered. Wash stood up, and eyed a man walking in their direction. “What are you doing? I told you to stay with me!” The man, most likely the boy’s father, dragged him by his side. He scowled at Wash, a harsh expression on my face. “What were you doing talking to my son?”

_Look, always getting mixed up in bad situations._ Wash grasped the hanger of the sweater tightly. “He came up to me. It’s okay. It’s not like I was doing anything to him.” He defended himself, glancing at the boy, and his father.

“Whatever. I don’t need some shady looking character talking to my son.” The boy’s father spat. “Bad influences like you corrupt kids now a days.” Wash gaped at the man.

“What? He came up to ME, talking about superheroes or something.” Wash narrowed his eyes at the man. The man just scoffed, and yanked his son away, leaving the clothing department. Wash glared at him, crossing his arms. How ridiculous..

Not too late after, something tapped Wash’s shoulder. Wash flinched, and spun around.  _Goddammit Tucker._ “Ah, your jumpy-ness never gets old. Found something?” He swung a plastic bag on his finger, containing the medicine. Wash lifted the hanger, the sweater swaying at the end. Tucker eyed the sweater, almost with loathing. “Dude. It’s summer. I don’t think you need a sweater.” Wash shrugged.

“I like it. And besides, I’m pretty sure I won’t roast in it. Trust me.” He assured him. Tucker rose his hands in defense.

“Oookay. Lets just go buy that, and get the hell outta here. All these people are starting to get to me.” He led Wash out of the clothing department, and over to the checkout lanes. It wasn’t much of a walk. The lines were MUCH longer than expected. “Oh great. This’ll be fun..” He huffed, heading to the shortest looking line. Though they all looked similar in size..

Wash stood in line next to Tucker, that man’s words, the one from the clothing section, ringing in his head. _I don’t look shady.. Right?_ Being lost in thought, he reminded himself how Tucker had been so ‘kind’ to buy him a shirt. Not to mention everything else he’s done . Wash held the sweater in his arms, and gazed down at it. “Tucker?” The dreadlocked boy turned to him. “Why are you buying this for me?”

“Cause you needed something else to wear, besides that old outfit. Who knows how long you’ve had to wear that.” Tucker looked at Washington’s clothes, and cracked a grin.

“Well, yeah, sure. But you’ve been somewhat nice to me today, and yesterday. There’s always been a reason why with people. So, why are you being so generous? What do you want?” Wash interrogated him, narrowing his eyes. Tucker stared at him for a moment, before cracking up.

“You got me. I want your first born child.” He deadpanned, before laughing some more. “Dude, I’m just trying to be nice. Seriously, I don’t want anything. I kinda think ya deserve it. I can tell how bad you were treated before. Especially since you think I wanted something from you, just because I was being a bit generous.” He dimpled at Wash, and moved up with the line. “Don’t worry so much. Practically no one’s like those assholes you were stuck with.”

Wash blinked a few times, and returned his eyes to the sweater. _Just trying to be nice.._

 

After the sweater was purchased, the two left Target. Tucker pulled out his phone. Clicking it on, his eyes widened. “Its fucking ten! We almost spent an HOUR in there!” He stuffed the phone back in his jeans pocket. “Stupid goddamn lines. Why does everyone come here on weekdays? We only bought two things, and we spent all that time there.” He whined, looking down at the grocery bag in his hand with disgust.

Wash tittered. “I’m just glad we got out of there. I was pretty close to hitting some of the people behind us. They wouldn’t stop pushing and shoving us.” He rubbed his freckle face, feeling exhausted. His eyes caught the bag containing his new sweater. “Oh, yeah. Do you want me to pay you back for the sweater? I mean, when I have money?”

Tucker disregarded his offering. “Nah. It’s okay.” He paused, before speaking up once more. “So, do ya know what you’re gonna do, since you’re free from those assholes that had ya locked up?”

Wash looked down. “I dunno. I guess I haven’t put much thought into it. I guess I’ll figure it out.” _I remember Tucker said I might be able to stay yesterday at Allison’s house, but it’d be a bit bold just to say “I’m staying.”_

“Well, I asked Leonard about you staying, while I also asked about you borrowing his pajamas. He said yeah. Just help pay for rent and bills. Stuff like that.” He smiled warmly.

“Honestly, I was thinking about that option too. Glad I can. Looks like you guys got a new roommate.” He grin back. “Plus, it’ll be pretty easy to get money. When is the deadline for rent and bills?”

“Every month. And it’s harder than you think. How do you plan to get money so easily?” Tucker asked. _Ah, how delusional._

“I have my ways. Don’t worry about it.” _If you have a skill, better use it to your advantage. Whether you hate doing so. I’ll go out when it’s dark. It’ll be better just to get this out of the way._

 

 


	6. A Bit of a Hiatus..

Yes, I said there would be a new chapter out by August.

Yes, I haven't done much with this since what, July maybe? Possibly June, I don't know.

I am truly sorry.

I'm trying to write the next chapter, but I'm having major roadblocks, whether it be I just have writers block, or I'm caught up with something else. Being in school again, with a shit ton of homework just supports to the things holding me back from writing. 

But I'll make you guys a deal. I'll try to return the story in Late October, early November. No, I promise you for real this time.

Yes, that's quite a ways away, but hear me out.

That gives me some time to finish the next damn chapter, and probably some others as well. I can begin posting chapters pretty frequently again. It's just hard for me to be consistent. 

I'm sorry I'm making my few readers wait, but the wait will be worth it, I promise promise promise!

Hiatus' suck, yes. But just give me some time to get my muse back, and write some chapters, alright?

 

Don't loose faith in this story.

Thank you for understanding!


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